"There’s only one CF in this situation, and it isn’t her." Totally agree.
Good men don't fraudulently apply for loans.
Good men don't see the mother of their child struggling due to THEIR cock up and try to avoid helping
Good men are honest - they don't need the truth dragged out of them.
Op you haven't even known him that long, all you know is what he's told you and from the sound of things you've seen a glimpse of a letter from tax credits to her addressed to her with probably the usual Apr-Apr dates on.
I can well understand Hmrc claiming that the loan applied for by HIM claiming that as his address makes it appear he was still living there.
"She told him she was being investigated for benefit fraud and it was all his fault because of the loan debacle.
He said he wouldn't sign anything that wasn't the truth." Again, I absolutely can see this being true.
If he applied for the loan claiming his former address as his current address that COULD WELL have dropped her right in it with ALL benefits agencies. If he wasn't living there but did apply for the loan stating he was living there and that's what she's asking him to sign to say is the case - well it IS the truth isn't it?
Sounds to me as if -
She claimed benefits after he moved out as a single parent which she IS entitled to do. And this ISN'T fraudulent.
HE has FRAUDULENTLY applied for a loan WRONGLY stating that as his permanent address which is understandably causing a shit storm for her, because it now looks like she was lying about him moving out and he's refusing to tell tax credits/benefits agencies the truth - why? It's HIS cock up!
I'd also be wondering what else he's done he's not being honest about!
"and didn't foresee this happening, but ffs." Actually I'm not buying that at all. He KNEW he was acting fraudulently (by lying about his permanent address), it's also well publicised that benefits agencies and tax credits will instigate a fraud proceeding if evidence of a seemingly fraudulent claim comes to light and that means in all likelihood ALL her money has been stopped while they investigate so no doubt she's in dire financial straits and worried sick! Wtf was he thinking?
"From the award period dates on the letter, she was claiming as a single parent whilst the new partner was living at her address." Did you see the full letter to see if he was part of the claim? Dates alone mean NOTHING wrt new partner moving in, if he doesn't work or is a low earner they may well have still been entitled to tax credits but your partner earns enough such that if they believe he's living there she wouldn't be eligible. But then I suspect you're trying to deflect from your partners massively selfish cock up with that post!
HuskyLover - you need to read the thread, do you not understand it's because it makes it look like the husband was still living there at the time the loan was applied for? Also the loan was applied for fraudulently (I suspect that's why op's partner not wanting to stick his head above the parapet)
"If HMRC say that he was living there because of the loan, then all he needs to do is prove that he wasn't." Exactly - but there may be a reason he doesn't want to do this - that's what could be dodgy. I'm wondering if he's had or tried to get other loans on that address. He could get in a lot of trouble for that.
There's
Child tax credits - which I think replaced the child elements of things like jsa. Eligibility relates to age and dob of children, employment status of adults in the household (but her having a working partner doesn't necessarily make them ineligible). Employed and unemployed people can be eligible.
Working tax credits - initially childcare tax credit was separate but looking now I see they're done as part of working tax credits now? It's been a long time since I claimed these. Eligibility means tested but basically must be working 30 hours per week for adults with no dependants/issues and 16 hours a week for parents/disabled and other issues.
Whether the letter refers to working tax credits or child tax credits it'll just say 'tax credits'
"He says she sells MLM skincare products on eBay. So that's employment?" Fuck me!! You really don't like her and are determined to help your partner wriggle out of his responsibilities! she can sell stuff without it affecting tax credits or any other benefits providing the amount she makes stays under a fairly significant amount! In other words occasionally selling something on eBay is basically irrelevant.
Even under data protection etc - THEY can't tell him anything but HE can tell THEM information that might affect the investigation into her ie that he'd moved out but stupidly took a loan out claiming he was still living there.
Child maintenance is not included for benefits or tax credits calculations. It used to be a long time ago but because too many nrps don't pay consistently children were ending up in serious poverty so the rules were changed.
"she can't have lied about it? you're very naïve. HMRC might well have told her about the loan, all she had to do was send him a message saying hi EX DP, HMRC think you were living here on x date because you applied for x loan, please can you send me a utility bill / rent agreement to cover this date?" He could be lying too. There could be a raft of debt he's run up against his old address. He could be lying to op about what ex said.
"And how would HMRC even know about the loan? It's not income one has to declare." That's been explained. Basically cross referencing software applied to credit records.
"So should he still have informed the benefits agencies he was leaving? Even though he'd never tried to claim anything?" No but he ALSO shouldn't be signing LEGAL DOCUMENTS in which he FALSELY claimed he was still living there! ESPECIALLY as he likely knew she needed to claim benefits in order to provide for THEIR child!!
"If the the ex's address was used for a loan then she would have known about it, as that's where the mail would have been sent." The loan was declined so no paperwork would've been sent. Plus Most transactions are paperless now. If the application paperwork was signed by the op's partner in person and then the contract sent by email - it would've been entirely possible for nothing to be sent by post OR that he was having his mail going to that address redirected.
Being a victim of abuse, doesn't mean he's incapable of lying.
Being mentally ill doesn't either. Sometimes being mentally ill can mean people try to or do get credit, spend more than is sensible etc. It's a big problem for the mentally ill. I've been mentally ill for several years, at one point ending up with a credit card I have absolutely no recollection of applying for! Be prepared to discover he has a lot of debt from this time in his life.
I would strongly advise against moving in with this man until you have proof of his financial status. I don't mean don't move in with him if he has debt, most people have debt, but you need to KNOW he's being honest.
Also yea, 'crazy, lazy, benefit scrounging ex who cheated on me' said almost every man with an ex!
Also you've only been together 10 months both have DC and are talking him moving in soon?!
"I don't talk to his father in law. He does, by text. I've seen some of the texts." You do know it's really easy to send texts to yourself that look as if they've come from elsewhere yea?
"Of course Op will come back and say she’s been claiming benefits fraudulently the whole time, as that paints her dp as she wants us all to see him. Doesn’t mean it’s the truth. I’d stake my new loan in ops address on that." I'm similarly sceptical of that update.